Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-04-07
uaANoLoeY ron ArarE.

The phases OF the Moon for April are |
First quarter, Ist, s 80 q. M. full moon, etl,
O.S8 q. M; last quarter, l4th, ll.03 p - ! /
new moon, 2sd, 3 es L. M; first Quarter, |
S0th, g p. N.
the Moon during April will be AZ follows.
On the night OF the 9Th, the 81 magnitude
star 10 Virgins, occnltation begins at 6.l9
D. M, and lasts IL minutes; at 3 40 q. M, Of
the 9Th, magnitude star Sc Virgins, occult
tation asts Al minutes; on the evening OF
tina alh the wide double star Omicron
1isncFi, ths compnnents OF which are rated
n. 81 AID 6 magnitude, respectively. The
Moon will occult one OF the pair at 6.l9 and
| the other ut 6.38 p. m.
The Moon will be In conjunction with tho
several planets as follows; with 5sturn a.
| 5.11 .. M, OF the 1st, planet 50, 2Sm, north
/ with Uranus at 1919 a, M, Of the IN
/ planet 40, b7m., south; with Jupiter ut ~
| D. M, OF the 9th planet 3o, 2lm. south; with
Mercury at 1851 p. M, OF the 20th planet
Slim, north; With Mars at lao q. m, OF the
28rd planet 4, sem. north; with Neptune al
0.4S u. M, of the a1th planet 81 ,2Sm,, north I;
with Venus at IA a. M, Of the 2Bth, plane.
SO, lsm., north; with Saturn again ut lao q.
m, of the 2Bth, planet 81, 6n.. north.
Mercury became nOrninB planet on
March 2fst, and reaches hts greatest western
elongation, 27o, 26tn, on tine afternoon OF
| April 18th. The maximum elongHtion dis
lance is 2So l8m. Tue planets apparent
diameter on the nth will be 8 seconds,
steadily diminishing to seconds In May +;
II Is now about lOt seconds. de may De
| | looked for on the morning OF the LIST about
90 south of the sunrise point, and, us re
rises about an hour before the Sun. should
be visible If the air Is clear. At conjunction
, he vii! be some 100 south OF the Suns path
and will rise about II hours earlier thar
| the Sun. Tna conditions are fairly favor
/ | able TO good Views OF Mercury before sun
| rise on the mornings OF week or so pro
= ceding the 18th; the only unfavorable ele
? ment being his southerly situation. II i
unfortunate that the close conjunction 0
Mercury with the Moon, on the goth, doe
l not occur ut an hour suitable for oDserva
tlon.
> Venus Is now about the centre OF the cor
q stellation Aries. During April she passe
4 eastward across this constellation an
Taurus, ending the month between tn
horns Of the latter, On the evening OF tn
h 10th she will pe about midway betwee
- those two well. known clusters, the Pleiadt
70 and the Hya 1es. Already the glory OF th
70 evening sSy, she will grow steadily pright'
~ | until August 18th. On April 18th she owe
: takes the slow-footed Neptune, passing
lie 35m. north OF the latter planet, and near
4. the same distance south OF the Pleiade
The apparent diameter OF Venus Is now
70 SECONDS at her greatest brilliancy her ere
a. cent will measure about 40 seconds In
no greatest length.
us Mars will be OF little interest to the ave
be age observer until after October.
~ Jupiter 10 excellently placed for observ
- ton He rlsas on tnA LAT at 05 p. NJ;
be the SOth he will rise at 8 IS. He passes o
nd position to the 5uil On the morning OF I
2lst II Is a ttueial test OF superior keennf
&c OF his vision TO detect any Of his satellii
with tue naked eye under these fayori
:. conditions. A good time to make the tr
10 wou!d be about or shortly after midntgt
is When the planet has reached n high al
20 tude, taking care 70 select time when
~ air is very clear and shortly before or AZ
on new Noon. A spy-glass OF moderate pow
,,. steadily held, Will show these little moo
readily, looking like very small bright /
Oh pOiu,s quite close to their primary. Il
nv good telescope, with magnifying poy
| of 100 and upwards, their trAnslt5 acr,
en- this disc of Jupiter, their ecllpses and
,p- cultations and the transits Of their shade
II make up very interesting s4ries OF r
nomena. Jupiter 10 now In the lett 100
lily Virgo and moving slowly almost in dir
ar liuetowards Spiea, the brightest stare of /
led Ii viii be Of interest to watch the grad
asa approach of Saturn to the third magniti
star Delta Geminorum, which he passes
ces the morning OF the 25th at the distance
lar only IL minutes, less than one-haif
AfN
w this star comes out as pretty double,
rain OF It's eomponents being Of the Sd and
nam other Of the sth magnitude, separated
m interval Of about six seconds.
ADle The llallrJ Uranus passes opposition
op the morning OF the list and Is, consequen
"a excelleutls well placed Tor observation.
luu' see MIN requires sharp vision, but the
sted Is not comparable with that OF the satell
,,,b of Jupiter. Tbs two planets come to
'"eA meridian so nearly together that the curl
EN-. observer can readily try both these tests
NTH | the same time. Uranus ii situated Apr
80 imatsiy midway between Eta and 81
.ooi Virgins, being nearer to the former 8
nrly A line drawn from DenhbpM, Ia tho II
=. to Gamma Virgins and continued somt
~ or s. beyond the latter star will point
No our, as will also line drawn from Fps
80 ><Ilrough Delta Virgins and continued
'ii'e about the same distance that separ
not Epsilon aud Delta, The motion of this
,oia- tant planet Is so slow that these direct
for finding him will serve for any n
helF during April